Rotary valve



Dec, 23, 1924.

M, O. ANTHONY ROTARY VALVE Filed Aug. 19, 1922 2 Sheets-'Sheet 1 pee, z3, 1924. 1,520,273

M. O. ANTHONY ROTARY VALVE Filed Aug. 19, 1922 2 Sheetds-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 23, 1.924.

UNITED STATES l 1,520,27a PATENT OFFICE.

MARCUSO. ANTHONY, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T0 CONTINENTAL ENGINEER- ING CORPORATION, 0F OMAHA, NEBRASKA, A CORPORATION OF NEBRASKA.

ROTARY VALVE.

l Applicationled August 19, 1922. Serial No. 582,901.

To all/'whom t may concern.' f

Be it known that I, MARCUS 0. ANTHONY, a citizen of the United States, .residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and the State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Valves, of which the following is a specification. L

This invention relates to rotary valves for internal combustion engines. One of the objects of the invention is to provide suitable means for giving a step by step rotary movement of the valve as it is operated. Another object. is to cause thevalve to be rotated at a greater proportionate rate on high speeds than on low speeds. Another object of the invention is to provide suitable rotating means which arevery dependable and inexpensive and which are so arranged that dirt or other substances cannot Work into the mechanism and interfere with the proper operation thereof.

Of the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is an elevation of valve, operating means mounted in an engine casing, the casing being shown in section; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the valve rotating means which embody the features of my invention; Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are transverse sections along the respective lines 3. 4 and 5 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 6 is an elevation of a split collar which is used in connection with the device.

In order to prevent undesirable warping or wearing of valves which are subject to high temperatures and rapid pounding action, it has been common by various means to give to the valve a limited rotary movement on each operation thereof, this movement being provided for ordinarily as the valve is opening. 1 have found, however, that it is desirable to impart this rotary movementlto the valve as it is closing, thus giving the valve a slight rotary movement` just as it comes in Contact with the seat, so as to more effectively clean the seat or the valve and to reduce the effects of the pounding of the impact, the impact occurring in conjunction with a slight rotary or relative movement of the valve and the seat.

The means which I have provided for carrying out this operation may be applied toany ordinary internal'combustion engine valve, particularly the ordinary puppet valve 10. which is seated when closed on a `seat 11 in a partition 12 between the gas by the cam 19. As the cam 19 rotates, the

tappet 18 isforced upwardly and this in turn opens the valve, and a spring 20 is adapted to close the valve as the cam continues to rotate. 1 prefer to have the cam unsymmetrical shown and rotated clockwise, Fig 1, so as to impart slower speed to the stem on closing than on opening.

In order to produce a limited rotary movement of the valve as it is closing, f provide a member 21, which is fixed in any suitable manner to the lower end of the valve stem 16. ln this instance l prefer to fix the member 2l to the Avalve stem by means of a split collar 22, the lower end of which rests against an annular flange 23 fixed to the lower end of the stem 16; and the collar 22, which is conical with its periphery converging upwardly, passes into the conical bore 24 of the member 21. Slots 25 are formed in the member 2l so as to allow it, when it is pressed downwardly by the spring 20, to spread slightly and thus clamp firmly at all times the split collar `22 and press the members of the collar snugly against the valve stem. Then slots allow also the spring acting on the flange 27 of the member 21 to force the collar to grip the stem. The inner surface 26 of the collar is slightly roughened so as to more firmly grip the valve stem and the outer surface of the collar is also roughened or knurled so as to prevent relative movement of the collar and the member 21.

The member 21 is provided with lugs 30, which normally play respectively in `the slots 31 formed in a barrel 32 which encircles the valve stem. The barrel 32 also encircles a cylindrical member 33, which is rotatably mounted on the stem 16. The barrel 32 has an annular inwardly extending flange 34, the inner surface of which is conical and conforms in shape with the outer surface of the annular flange 35 fixed to the lower end of the member 33. A spring 36 is positioned between the flange 34 and the lower end of a cylindrical member 37. This member,

in some suitable manner, such as by means of a lu 38 passing /into a recess 39 in the guide 1 is non-rotatably fixed to the bush- 1n and hence to the casing .of the engine.

Iy this arrangement it will be seen that the spring 36 at all times tends to hold the surfaces of the fianges 34 and 35 snugly 1n contact, and if the force of the spring is sufficient, relative rotation of the two surfaces will be prevented. When the valve stem 16 is forced upwardly, carrying with it the member 21, the lugs will come against the slanting sides of the slots 31 and will thus tend to force upwardly the, barrel 32, thus tending to reduce the pressure between the conical surfaces of the flanges 34 and 35 by elevating slightly, against the pressure of the spring 36, the barrel 32. As a consequence, the conical surfaces will have more or less relative movement and the member 21, which is fixed to the stem 16, will not be rotated, at least materially. As soon as the tappet 18 begins to descend, however, the lugs 30 passing downwardly will come against the inclined sides 41 of the slots 31, thus assisting the spring 36 in forcing the barrel 32 downwardly and hence increasing the pressure between the conical surfaces to such an extent'that relative rotation thereof is prevented. Hence, as the cylinder 33 is non-rotatably mounted in the fixed cylinder 37, the barrel 32 will be held from rotation, and thus, by means of the inclined slots 31, will force the lugs 30 to one side and cause a limited rotation of the member 21 and the valve stem and valve.

In order to allow such rotation without -the use of an undue amount of force, I prois rotatably mounted on the cylinder 37 and which provides a bearing for the upper end of the compression spring 20. Thus, as the member 21 rotates, it will carry with it the spring 20 as the ball bearings will reduce sufciently the friction between the bearing for the upper end of the spring and the guide 17. By this arrangement it is not necessary to reciprocate the race and balls with the stem, and this materially reduces the mass the inertia of which must be continuously overcome.

For various reasons it is desirable at times to rotate the valve proportionately at a greater rate than at other times; particularly at high speeds, which are more wearing on the valves, exposing them to higher temperatures, andl greater amount of dirt, higher rates of rotation are desirable. At lower speeds the pounding of the valve is less frequent and injurious, and for other reasons this proportionately slower rotating of the valve is allowable. I provide for this difference in the rate of rotation by suitably adjusting the various features of the mechanism hereinabove described. It is ingly. F urther,` the greater the speed with which the lugs are forced upwardly and downwardly, the greater the tendency of the lugs to force correspondingly the barrelA 32 upwardly and downwardly, and hence the greater the reduction in friction between the conical surfaces on the up stroke and the increase in friction on the down stroke. On

the other hand, the slower the speed of eleva-- tion of the lugs, the greater the tendency of the surfaces 40 to rotate the valve itself rather than to rotate the barrel 32. As a consequence, when the movement of the valve stem is sufficiently slow, there will be what I call an oscillating rotating movement of the valve stem; on the up stroke there will be a slight rotation of the valve stem in one direction, and on the down stroke there will be a somewhat greater rotation of the valve stem in the other direction. So that, not only does the valve stem have a limited rotary movement' alternately in each direction, but the resultant movement of one complete cycle is always in one direction, and the higher the speed of the engine the greater this resultant movement. At the highest speeds when the elements are properly adjusted the oscillating or back rotating tendency' of the valve stem substantially disappears.

With devices of this nature it frequently happens that dirt works into the device and interferes with its proper operation. To prevent this withv my device I arrangeso that the outside members overlap the next lower member. Thus the cylinder 37 overlaps the barrel 32, and the barrel 32 overlaps the member 21, and hence no dirt can work in between the members without working upwardly against gravity, and this is not probable.

It will be noticed that with this arrangement the actuating spring 20 at all times rotates with the valve stem. This is desirable because otherwise, if the spring compression should be any greater on one side than on the other, there will be more wear on one side of the stem guide 17 than on the other. lith the spring gradually rotating, however, the point of greater compression also rotates with reference to the bearing and the wearing of the guide due to the lld stem is distributed entirely around the and member 21, is not a necessary featurev of my invention. Similarly with reference to the conical coacting surfaces of the flanges 34 and 35; these surfaces, if desired, might be materially varied, even to the extent of making them entirely horizontal, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim as my invention: y

l. A valve having a stem, and a valve casing in which said stem is slidably mounted, in combination with means for imparting relative movementJ to said stem, said means comprising an annular member fixed to said casing and having a conical peripheral surface encircling said stem, a cylindrical member rotativelv mounted on and encircling said annular member and having a conical surface conforming to and normally in contact with said conical peripheral surface, resilient means tending to press said conical surfaces together, means non-rotatably mounted on said stem tending to press said surfaces apart when said valve is opening and to impart a limited relative rotary movement between said -cylindrical member and said stem when said valve is closing.

2. A valve having a stem, and a valve casing in which said stem is slidably mounted, a rst annular member fixed to said casing and encirclingr said stem, a second annular member rotatably mounted on said first annular member, said members having coacting conical surfaces, resilient means tending to press said surfaces together,

means non-rotatably mounted on said siem arranged to tend to press said surfazes apart as said stem is moved to open the v2 ive and to impart a limited relative rmary movement to said stem and second annular member as said stem is moved to close the valve.

3. A valve having a stem, two members having circular coacting friction surfaces substantially concentric with said stem, one of said members being fixed, and the otherl being operatively connected with said stem, yielding means forcing said surfaces together, means fixed to said stem for opposing said yielding means as said stem is moved to open said valve and for imparting a limited relative rotary movement between said stem and the operatively connected member as said stem moves longitudinally.

4. An engine casing, a valve stem mounted for longitudinal and rotary movement in said casing, an annular member xed to said casing, a cylindrical member encircling said annular member, said members having coacting conical surfaces, yieldingI means pressing said" surfaces together, said cylindrical member having a slot inclined to the axis of said stem, and a lug fixed to said stem and positioned in said slot, said surfaces being concentric with said stem,

whereby when said stem is moved longitudinally to open the valve, the friction between the surfaces is reduced and when the stem is moved to close the valve the, friction is increased.

5. An engine casing, a valve, a stem fixed to said valve and mounted for longitudinal and rotary movement in said casing, a member fixed to said casin a member rotatably mounted on said Xed member, the two members having smooth coacting friction surfaces, means operatively connecting said rotatably mounted member and said stem, and means for reducing the pressure between said surfaces as said stem is moved longitudinally in one direction.

6. An engine casing, a valve stem mounted for longitudinal and rotary movement inv said casing, an annular member fixed to said casing, a cylindrical member encircling said annular member, said members having coacting friction surfaces, yielding means pressing said surfaces together, said cylindrical member having a slot inclined to the axis of said stem, a lug fixed to said stern and positioned in said slot, and means for reciprocating said valve stems more rapidly in one direction than in the other.

7. A valve comprising a stem and means for reciprocating said stem comprising a compression spring tending to close said valve and encircling said stem, the diameter of said spring being materially greater than the diameter of said stem, a bearing for the spring encircling oney end of said stem, said bearing having a conical bore, and means for fixing said bearing to said stem, said means comprising a split conical collar encircling said stem and positioned in said conical bore, and said bearing having slots extending from its periphery to said bore, whereby the segments of said bearing are forced inwardly by said spring against the said split collar.

8. A valve having a stem mounted for longitudinal and rotary movement, two members having coacting horizontally disposed friction surfaces, one of said members being fixed and the other movable, the said movable member resting on said fixed member so that the force of gravity acting on said movable member presses said surfaces together, means fixed to said stem and coacting with said movable member tendingto ralse said movable member when said stem is moved longitudinally in one direction, said means arranged to rotate relatively said stem and said movable member when said stem is moved longitudinally.

9. A valve having a stem mounted for 1ongitudinal and rotary movement, two members having coacting horizontally disposed friction surfaces, one of said members bein fixed, and the other member restin on said fixed member so that the force o? gravity acting on said movable member presses said surfaces together, means fixed to said stem and coacting with said movable member .tending to raise said movable member when said stem is moved longitudinally in one direction, said means arranged to rotate relatively said stem and said movable member when said stem is moved longitudinally. 1n either direction, and yielding means pressing said surfaces together..

10. A valve having a stem mounted for longitudinal `and rotary movement, tvvo members having coacting horizontally disposed friction surfaces, one of said members bein fixed and the other being rotatable, the ric'tion surface of said rotatable member being above and resting on the friction surface of said fixed membei', a compression spring tending to force said friction surfaces together, means fixed to said stem and coacting with said rotatable member tending to`raise said vrotatable member when said stem is raised', andmeaiis arranged to rotate relatively said stein and said rotatable member When'said stem is moved longitudinally.

ll.y A valve comprising a stem and means for reciprocating said stem, said means comprising a compression spring encircling said stem, a bearing for said sprm fixed to one end of said spring, said bearing having a i than that of said boref, said spring beingy arranged to press against said ange, the sides of said hub being resilient, whereby the pressure of said spring on the flange forces the collar inwardly and causes 'it to grip the stem.

12. A casing of an internal combustion engine, a valve movably mounted in said casing, a stem fixed to said valve, means for longitudinally reciprocating said stem, and means for rotatingl said stem, said reciproeating means arranged to move said stem longitudinally in one direction at a lesser rate than in the other direction, and said r0- tating means beinlr operative only as the stem is moved at t 1e lesser rate.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto set my hand.

MARCUS O. ANTHONY. 

